Hardships of a Single Father
by SonicGenesis89
Summary: When Amy suddenly passes away due to complications while giving birth, Sonic is left all alone to take care of their only daughter on his own. Things only become harder as their daughter grows up with a spirit and passion for adventure like her father and begins to want to know more about her mother.


_**Summary**_

_When Amy suddenly passes away due to complications while giving birth, Sonic is left all alone to take care of their only daughter on his own. Things only become harder as their daughter grows up with a spirit and passion for adventure like her father and begins to want to know more about her mother._

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**Chapter One – A Shattered Heart**

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The hospital room was dim and quiet with only the soft hums of nearby machines and monitors that stood nearby a small incubator. Soft, choked up sobs could be heard coming from a nearby figure in the darkened room. There the world's renowned hero, Sonic the Hedgehog sat, his face covered with his hands as he hunched over and wept in utter despair. His body shook fiercely and his dirty, tattered gloves were soaked from his hot, salty tears. Never had the cobalt hedgehog ever felt such heartache and hopelessness. The young hero for the first time looked completely broken and lost. He eventually let his hands drop to his sides as his red, dry eyes stared blankly at the incubator machine in front of him. He let his hand gingerly touch the machine's glass as fresh tears streamed from his eyes and he lost the will to even bother wiping them away. _"I've failed her…and now…I'm failing you too…" _He said to himself dismally. He stared helplessly at his newborn daughter who was still fighting for survival from behind the glass. Another tear rolled down his peach muzzle and he wiped it away quickly. He never even had a chance to hold her in his arms. "I'm so sorry…" He sobbed dejectedly. He let his gaze fall to the tile floor feeling unable to look at his newborn daughter's sick and weak condition. More tears threatened his eyes as horrid memories filled his mind unwillingly against his will. "I-I'm so sorry Amy…" He whimpered as he quickly covered his face with his hands again.

It had been just an ordinary day for him and his wife. They woke up, had breakfast, he went out on his daily run while she did chores around the house. Never would he have suspected what was going to happen just hours later. He never would've imagined his entire life was going to completely shatter and fall apart right before his very eyes. Everything he held dear and loved was violently ripped away from him and he had no control over any of it. He felt like such a failure. He had failed to protect the very person who meant the most to him, the love of his life. He failed her as a hero and he failed her as a husband. Eggman had attacked unexpectedly and Amy as well as the rest of their friends was unintentionally involved in the battle. Amy should've been at home resting. The doctor had told her she needed to stay off her feet for a while but she insisted on visiting Cream while he was out on this fateful day. He remembered the indescribable fear he felt when he heard his wife's pain filled scream as she lay holding her stomach amongst the debris of a destroyed building. He could see the fear in her beautiful jade eyes as she looked over at him pleadingly. He knew immediately what was wrong and he felt his heart beating faster than his feet could run. Everything was a blur as he ran to his sobbing wife's side. Nothing else was important at the moment. He remembered trying to comfort her and giving her a soft kiss on the forehead as he lifted her up bridal style and raced to the nearest hospital. She was going into labor two months earlier than she was supposed to. If he had known this would have been the last time he'd see his wife he would have never of left her side that day.

"_S-Sonic!" Amy whimpered as she squeezed her husband's hand tightly. Sonic quickly tried to comfort her and gave her a soft kiss. "Everything's gonna be alright Ames…I promise." He tried to reassure her. He felt just as terrified and filled with uncertainty as her. Tears stained her soft face as she panted heavily and tried to cope with the stabbing pain she was feeling in her lower abdomen. Sonic gently wiped her cheeks with his thumbs and continued to try and comfort her to the best of his ability. He tried his hardest to remain strong, for her sake, but he was consumed with fear._

_Sonic stood next to Amy as she lay in a bed in a relatively small hospital room. He looked up feeling slightly hopeful when a doctor and a group of nurses rushed in to tend to his wife's aid. He felt his heart stop when he heard the doctor mutter that the baby was coming now. Amy looked up weakly at her husband and whimpered. "I'm scared…" She cried. He gave her hand another tight squeeze and quickly nuzzled his face against hers. "We're gonna get through this Amy…you just gotta be strong…" He told her._

_She nodded weakly and let out another sharp cry as the pain overwhelmed her. The doctor looked up at the hedgehog couple with a serious expression. "Mrs. Hedgehog, I need you to push for me." He told her firmly. Amy shook her head as more tears escaped her jade eyes. "It's too soon!" She cried as fear struck her heart. Sonic immediately bent down and gave her a peck on the forehead. "It's going to be okay…" He tried to reassure her. "The baby's gonna be fine. You gotta be strong Amy!" He felt so helpless and useless standing there. She was hurting and frightened and there was nothing he could do for her besides kiss her and send her words of encouragement. Amy let out a pain filled scream as she unwillingly pushed. She squeezed Sonic's hand and shut her eyes tight as she felt indescribable pain in her lower body. She fell backwards against the bed panting heavily with her eyes still tightly shut. She was sweating heavily and her face was flushed. "That's it…just a little more…" The doctor told her and she again shook her head helplessly. "I-I can't…" She breathed weakly._

_Sonic brushed her messy bangs away from her face and gave her an encouraging smile. "You're doing great Ames…just a little bit longer…" Amy gave another push and Sonic felt faint when the doctor said he could see the baby's head. Any moment now he was going to be a father. He too feared for his child's well-being but he couldn't let Amy see it. Amy let out a loud cry as she gave one final push and that's when he first heard it. Soft, little cries filled the room as the doctor held a very small baby girl in his hands. He and the nurses quickly tended to the little lavender hedgehog and Sonic felt a wave of relief fill his heart. The baby looked okay. He turned his attention back onto his wife who was lying exhaustedly on the bed. He smiled as he felt his emerald eyes beginning to moisten and he bent down and gave her an affectionate kiss. "You did great Ames!" He applauded her. "Y-Yeah…" Amy said tiredly as she fought to keep her eyes open. Sonic quickly noticed how pale her face had become and how dull her jade eyes looked. The grip on his hand had significantly weakened and that feeling of relief was quickly turning back into a feeling of dread. "Amy…?" He asked her beginning to worry._

_She barely responded to his voice as she reopened her eyes weakly to look at him. Her vision was becoming obscured and her husband's voice sounded more and more distant with each passing second. Sonic placed both his hands on her cheeks and tapped them lightly. "Come on Amy, you gotta stay with me…don't fall asleep!" He pleaded her. "I-I'm…so…t-tired…" She whispered, barely audible. Sonic shook his head as he began to panic. "Amy!" The doctor's panicked voice suddenly filled his ears. "She's not breathing!" He exclaimed to one of the nurses. Sonic turned his attention to the doctor and nurses handling his daughter and saw her beginning to choke and cough. His eyes grew wide with horror as two nurses quickly gave his daughter their undivided attention. But nothing could have prepared him for what came next. Amy had suddenly flat lined. He quickly turned his attention back onto his wife as sheer terror consumed him. Her limp hand slowly slipped away from his and fell onto the bed and he stared at her motionless, pale form. "AMY! NO!" He screamed as he leaned over and tried to summon her back to him._

_Within seconds the doctor and remaining nurses rushed to Amy's side and tried to revive her. Sonic found himself pushed forcefully away from his unresponsive wife and standing a few feet away watching the scene unfold before him helplessly. For minutes they worked hard to try and revive her but to no avail. She was gone._

Just like that Sonic's entire life was shattered right before his very eyes. He lost the only woman he had ever loved and now he might also lose his only daughter too. Sonic was distracted from his thoughts when the sound of the hospital door opening filled his sensitive ears. He slowly lifted his face from his hands to see one of the nurses staring at him with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered softly. "Your friends are all waiting to see you in the waiting room…" She stated gently. Sonic just stared at her blankly feeling completely numb. He wasn't sure if he was ready to face his friends yet let alone break the news to them. He was still having a difficult time accepting the news himself.

"You should go home and get some rest. There's nothing else more you can do here right now." Sonic shook his head silently as another loose tear slipped down his cheek. His gaze returned to the incubator that contained his weak and sick daughter. The nurse frowned and felt her hazel eyes beginning to glisten from the sight. This was the part of her job that she hated.

"Mr. Hedgehog…I can assure you that your daughter is stable but she cannot go home with you just yet." The young nurse tried reassuring him though she was speaking in only half truths. The newborn's life still hung in the balance despite her being stable at the given moment. She was premature, weak, and was unable to breathe on her own. Sonic said nothing and still stared at the incubator looking empty and lost. The nurse sighed deciding she should leave the young cobalt hero alone and quietly left the room.

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Another hour had passed without a word from Sonic about Amy and the baby's condition. All of their friends waited in worry for any news about what was happening. Tails looked around at their small group of friends. Everyone was tired, sore, and run down. They made it to the hospital as soon as they could after fighting Dr. Eggman and most of them had sustained minor injuries themselves. A worried sigh escaped his lips as he looked down the hallway watching doctors and nurses walking back and forth from room to room. A small squeeze of his hand brought him back to reality when he turned his attention to Cream who was sitting beside him.

"Don't worry Tails…Everything's going to be okay." She tried to reassure her longtime friend and secret crush.

He gave her a weak smile but it quickly faltered. "I hope you're right…I have a bad feeling…" He admitted. He didn't want to say anything beyond that but he had a terrible feeling something was wrong. It shouldn't be taking this long for any news regarding Amy's condition. The doctors and nurses refused to give them any information because they were not considered family members. Over the years the Sonic Team have grown so close they had become one large family but it was impossible trying to explain that to the staff at the hospital.

Suddenly, a cobalt figure came into view from down the hallway but the moment Tails saw his big brother he immediately knew something was terribly wrong. Sonic was walking towards them slowly with his head hung low and there was no sign of his trademark grin that usually filled his carefree features. Panic suddenly filled Tails' heart as well as the rest of their friends as they watched Sonic slowly approaching them. Sonic stopped in front of his friends but still refused to look them all in the face. Tails immediately got up from his seat and walked up to Sonic cautiously.

"Sonic…?" He asked apprehensively. "Sonic, what's wrong? Is Amy okay?"

A choked sob escaped Sonic's lips at the mentioning of his beloved wife's name. Unable to hold back his despair any longer Sonic began to break down and cry right in front of his friends. Everyone was taken aback by Sonic's sudden reaction and fear began to grip all of their hearts. Sonic suddenly grabbed the sixteen year old fox and pulled him into a desperate hug.

"Tails!" Sonic sobbed into his little brother's shoulder. "S-She's gone…my Amy is g-gone!" He whimpered despondently as he hugged him tighter desperate for some form of comfort. Sonic began to sob inconsolably in Tails' embrace. Tails had never in his entire life seen his big brother look so shattered and broken like he did at this moment. Another loud cry filled the waiting room as Cream began to break down into hysterical cries. She hid her face in her hands and Rouge quickly pulled her into a comforting embrace. Tears threatened Rouge's eyes and she began wiping them away quickly as she tried her best to comfort the sobbing rabbit in her arms. Shadow closed his eyes with a pained expression. He knew this feeling and situation all too well and couldn't believe it was repeating itself with another girl who had grown close to him. Knuckles looked at Sonic and Tails in disbelief. "No…she can't be…" He shook his head as a frown fell on his muzzle and he too began to feel his eyes glistening.

Sonic gripped onto Tails tighter as he sobbed like a vulnerable child. Tails felt his body tense up and his heart begin to race. "Sonic…" Tails whimpered softly as he felt hot tears obscuring his vision. "T-This can't be true…Why are you telling us this…?" The young fox asked feeling hurt. Sonic continued to sob uncontrollably and provided him with no answer. "I-I don't believe you!" Tails began to cry in disbelief but Sonic only hugged his little brother tighter. The dam broke and the tears Tails had been fighting begun to stream down his soft cheeks against his will. He hugged his big brother tightly and began to sob in his embrace. How could this happen to their family? How could this happen to Sonic? It wasn't supposed to be this way! It wasn't right!

After a while Sonic pulled away and wiped at his eyes hurriedly. "Tails…" He said hoarsely. "I want to go home." He no longer sounded like the cocky, carefree, twenty three year old hero they all knew and loved. He was reduced to this weak, vulnerable, little boy who sounded lost and frightened. All Tails could do was nod weakly as he sniffled and wiped at his eyes.

* * *

The house was dark and lonely as Sonic sluggishly made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. The home was now an empty shell of its former self. It no longer gave off a welcoming and warm feeling like it once had. Now it was depressing and filled with painful memories Sonic wished he could forget. He entered his bedroom and collapsed onto the bed with a tired sigh. He didn't have the energy or desire to bother cleaning himself up and merely kicked his red sneakers off his feet and crawled into the bed's warm sheets. Tears pricked at his eyes when he looked over to the other side of the bed. Amy's side looked the way she had left it that morning. The bed felt cold, empty, and lonely without her presence. He was so used to feeling her warmth beside him and her arms wrapped securely around him. It had been so long since he actually slept by himself. Sonic found himself beginning to cry once again. Everything felt like a terrible nightmare to him. He just wanted to wake up and find Amy sleeping safely by his side. None of this felt real. He felt numb and emotionally drained. His eyes were dry and hurt and just when he thought he couldn't cry anymore his emerald orbs produced new tears against his will.

"Amy…" He whimpered sadly. "Please don't leave me…" He began to sob. Wasn't she the one who always wanted to marry him and have a family? She always claimed she would love and be with him forever. Why did this have to happen? Why did she have to leave him this way? Sonic found himself feeling guilty. If it weren't for him…maybe she would still be here right now. If they never fell in love she would still be alive and safe. He began to sob into his pillow as he clutched the sheets tightly. Visions of her dying and withering away right in front of him continued to haunt his mind and stab at his heart. She looked so weak and tired and he couldn't do anything to help her. "What kind of hero am I if I can't even protect you?" He cried, feeling angry with himself.

His mind then drifted onto his little girl. He wouldn't know what he would do if he lost her too. A loose tear rolled down his wet cheek and fell onto the blanket. What broke his heart the most was the fact that Amy never got to hold or see her. Throughout her pregnancy Amy was so excited about the baby and would tell him how she couldn't wait to see what the baby would look like and finally hold it in her arms. They even had a running bet on whether it would be a boy or girl…and whether it would look more like him or more like her…Sonic wiped his eyes tiredly as his mind swam over memories over the past couple of months. He could recall when they were picking out baby names. He had decided on a name for a boy while she picked one she liked for a girl.

At that moment he made a promise to himself and to Amy. "I promise I'll always protect our little girl, Amy. You have my word. I won't let anything happen to her. Our sweet, little Emily…" Exhaustion began to take its toll on him and he closed his dry, red eyes as the urge to sleep grew more enticing. All the while his mind stayed on his daughter and he hoped with all his might that she had her mother's fighting spirit and will pull through this. Within minutes Sonic's breathing grew softer and more relaxed as he finally surrendered the fight and fell into a deep slumber. A slumber filled with dreams of his beloved wife and daughter.


End file.
